Naalala ko tuloy nung teenager pa lang ako. Nahihiya akong magkaroon ng bisita sa bahay namin. Unang una eh kasi luma na ang aming haybol. Mas matanda pa nga sa utol ko ito. Ganun din ang mga gamit sa loob ng bahay namin. Kumbaga eh outdated, obsolete, no longer fashionable. At ang aming tangin libangan bukod sa pakikinig kay Ernie Baron ay ang aming Black and White Television! Isang gabi nga na galing kami ng mga HS classmates ko sa isang pulaw sa katabing bahay namin eh dun muna daw sa min manonood ng laban ng Alaska at Ginebra. Hindi naman ako makatanggi siyempre dapat i-accommodate sila sa aming bahay. Ayun na nga pag pasok nila sa aming bahay gusto ko sanang sabihin na "Welcome to our humble abode!", kaso hiya ako eh. Ayun okay naman sa kanila. Wala naman violent reactions hehe. Natuloy din panonood sa Black and White tv namin. Napagtiyagaan na kahit malabo at maya't maya ay ayos ako ng ayos ng contrast at brightness. Hindi na rin natapos ang ballgame na pinapanood. Tingin ko kasi sumakit ang mata nila. Talagang hiya ako that time sa classmates ko hehe.

Kahit na hindi colored tv ang aming boob tube eh malaki naman ang pakinabang. Dito ko natapos ang Super Mario Brothers na game sa Family Computer. Dito ko minaster ang Up, Up, Down, Down, Left-Right, Left-Right, B, A, Select, Start sabay. Dito ko rin napapanood ang paborito kong show pag sabado na Battle of the Brains sa channel 9...oo nung nerd pa ako. Feeling contestant at nakikisagot sa mga tanong at naglilista ng sariling iskor. Ibang saya din naibigay nito nung nag-champion ang Ginebra nung panahon pa ni Coach Jaworski, Dudut, Bal David, Noli Locsin, Marlou Aquino at Vince Hizon. Kung ilang ulit sumakit ang tiyan ko kakatawa sa jokes ng Tropang Trumpo pero masaya pa rin kasi sigurado tuwing commercial break mapapa-utot :-)

Pag Fiesta nga eh nagagamit pang table ang black and white tv namin. Patungan din ng jurassic electric fan namin na pitong kilo ang bigat at kailangan pa isaksak sa transformer kasi 110 V. Dito rin nakapatong ang pictures ng pamilya. Hindi family photo na magkakasama kami, bakit nga kaya wala kaming family portrait? Solo pictures. Isa isa. Nagagamit pa itong tungtungan pag may kukunin o ilalagay na pang display sa ibabaw ng divider namin.

Indispensable ang aming black and white tv noon... Kahit nga ngayon na ito ay sira na at nasa tambayan na lang sa likod bahay namin hindi pa rin pinapatapon ni nanay. May sentimental value kasi. Kung hindi nga lang napabayaan ito sa labas ng bahay sana na preserve pa ito at nagawang antique collection. Kahit na kasi lumang modelo siya eh napakaraming memories itong naibigay sa aming buong pamilya.

Pictures of Cebu...Then and Now



Water Front, Cebu early 1900s



Water Front, Cebu modern times

 

Mabini cor Colon 1900

Colon Streetis the oldest street in the Philippines and is located in the heart of Cebu, Visayas

Colon Street

    
Mabini cor Colon 1990s

Governor's Palace, Cebu

Carcel, Cebu

Custom House, Cebu

Basilica Santo Nino

Cebuanos at a small dock in Cebu

Children diving at old Cebu Port

Port of Cebu

Mactan Bridge

Osmena Boulevard, Cebu

Water Front Hotel @ Mactan, Cebu

TV shows nung Dekada 90...

1. Music Bureau -- Inaabangan ko ito sa ABC 5 weekly.
2. Tropang Trumpo -- Arguably the funniest show ever to hit the Philippines. Yes better than any gag/comedy shows in the world. This show invented the "Chicken!" thing and the Chiken and Caronia dance steps. Battle of the Brainless was another segment of the show that really brought a whole lotta laughter to anyone who'd seen the show.
3. Ang TV -- Dito nagsimula sina Lindsay Custodio, Victor Neri, Francesca (Cheska) at Patrick Garcia, Vandolph, Jan Marini, Rica Peralejo, Jolina Magdangal atbp. 95% ng cast maybe 10 yr-old and under.
4. Gimik -- Youth tv series ng ABS-CBN.
5. Tabing Ilog -- Heavy drama show ng ABS-CBN.
6. TGIS -- Kalaban ng Gimik. Natatandaan mo pa ba si Bobby ANdrews as Wacks (Joaquin Torres III), Angelu De Leon as Peachy (Maria Patrice Real), Red Sternberg as Kiko (Francisco Martin Arboleda De Dios), Onemig Bondoc as JM (Jose Mari Rodriguez), Michael Flores as Mickey (Miguel Ledesma), Raven Villanueva as Cris and later on Dingdong Dantes as Iñaki (Iñaki Escaler Torres) and Erika Fife as Kiara? Pag nagsalita pa lang si Bobby Andrews ng "hi guys! tara na sa clubhouse punta kami dun ni Peachy." in his baritone voice natatawa na ko.
7. Battle of the Brains -- Para sa mga Geek in the Pink. Ilang beses din sumali ang CNSHS dito.
   
8. Battle of the Brainless (see number 2)
9. Buddy en Sol -- Redford White and Eric Quizon. Kwela ito.
10. Ober da Bakod -- Remember Honey Grace? How about Barbie Doll? Mokong and Bubuli? Eh sino makakalimot kay Don Robert with his probinsyano accent habang binabatukan at sinisigawan si Brownie? Meron bang makakalimot kay Aling Lukring and her pres pis?
    
11. Palibhasa Lalaki -- Dito every week eh parang piyesta ni San Juan. Basaan ng tubig tuwing katapusan ng show. Teka order muna ko ng burger sa McGoma!
12. Home Along da Riles -- Funny show with the King of Comedy Dolphy.
13. Magandang Gabi Bayan (wala pang imbestigador nun) -- Dito sumikat ng husto si Vice President Noli De Castro. Every Saturday ito noon sa ABS-CBS.
14. Hoy Gising! -- Originally TV Patrol segment lang ito and later turned into a thirty minute public service show.
15. WWF -- World Wrestling Federation. Dito sumikat si hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Andre the Giant, Honky Tonk Man, Macho Man, The Undertaker atbp. Namatay daw si Ultimate Warrior kasi naputulan ng ugat sa batok nung binuhat ang dambuhalang si Andre the Giant! Gustong gusto ko ang Royal Rumble at ang Wrestlemania!!! Usong uso sa mga tropa non ang Betamax tapes ng Wrestlemania from una hanggang hindi ko na ma remember kung hanggang kelan.
16. TMNT, Bioman, Shaider, Maskman, Ultraman, Magmaman, etc -- Eto ang mga pinapanood kong kiddie shows nun. Cowabonga!

1. Eraserheads - Number one pop band ng dekada 90
   
2. Rivermaya - First Asian astists to have full-length videos featured on the Star World Channel.
3. After Image - known for their inspirational pop songs
   
4. Yano - Folk/Punk rock band known for political and social themes. Sayang hindi na sila gumagawa ng albums as a group.
   
5. True Faith - Started as  a New wave band but eventually ventured into the Pinoy mainstream firmly embracing middle of the road radio. Not their music is best described as a blend of jazz, folk, pop and rock music.
6. Introvoys - Was actually formed in 1986 but only hit the music business big time when they release their most popular song Line to Heaven.
   
7. The Youth
8. The Teeth
9. Rizal Underground
10. Passage
11. Side A
12. Tropical Depression
13. Put3ska - The group has an outstanding horn section. Their hit song "Manila Girl" is a peppy, upbeat number and has a catchy chorus that immediately sears itself into a listener's memory cells. Sayang lang at maririnig mo na lang sila ngayon sa kanilang gigs around Metro Manila bars.
    
14. Grin Department
15. Siakol

Naalala ko ang pelikulang Back to the Future. If somehow meron makakagawa ng machine na makakapag-padala ng isang tao sa nakaraan (at pabalik syempre) talagang mas lalong magiging interesting ang magiging buhay natin. Imagine ang isang high school class ay magpi-field trip back in time during Dr. J. P. Rizal's execution. Pwede rin manood sila ng labanan ni Lapu-lapu at Magellan. How about makita kung talagang precise ang re-enactment na ginawa ng isang actor sa paglalakad ni McArthur sa beach ng Leyte (nadapa, araykupo).

Dahil sa hindi pa naman naiimbento ang time machine sa panahon ngayon eh maglalakbay na lang ako pabalik sa nakaraan using old photographs na aking na-halukay sa iba't ibang web sites at forum. Medyo may karamihan kaya pautay-utay ko n alang ipo-post sa aking photo blog na Retro. Eto ang ilang samples.

High Class Women late 1890s to early 1900s. Donas (Donyas)

Manila, Pacific Commercial Company, Used Car Department

Traffic Department, 1910-1920s

Plaza Carlos III, Manila early 1900

• Favorite foods: sardinas secas (now known as tuyo), ayungin, ginisang mungo, pancit, bagoong (especially when prepared by Josephine Bracken) and of course several plates of rice.
• Favorite merienda: champorado
• Jose Rizal died a Freemason. He never retracted his beliefs therefor he gained the enmity of the Church who placed heavy pressure for his death sentence. It was recorded in his conversations in Dapitan with Fr. Pastells and Fr. Sanchez that they offered him safety and longer life if he retracts his Masonic beliefs and returns to the catholic fold. Rizal never did. He stood by his beliefs to the death.
• He could read and write at age 2.
• Rizal became interested in Chinese theaters when he was in Hong Kong.
• Rizal could have been a father had not for the mysterious miscarriage of Josephine Bracken.
• Throughout his life, he was very fond of the sleight-of-hand tricks which he often show off to his close friends during light moments.
• Karl Ulmer helped Dr. Rizal brush up his German language upon knowing that Rizal was having difficulty communicating himself
• Seiko Usui is a Japanese girl whom Rizal fell in love with. Jose Rizal affectionately call her O-Sei-San.
• The little boy spent also much of his time in the church, which was conveniently near, but when the mother suggested that this might be an indication of religious inclination, his prompt response was that he liked to watch the people.
• At seven Jose made his first real journey; the family went to Antipolo with the host of pilgrims who in May visit the mountain shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Safe Travel.
• According to Jose Alejandrino who was Rizal's companion in Belgium before checking in a hotel, our hero would ask the hotel's booking attendant the cost of a room with and without meals. To conserve his meager funds, Rizal would always book a room without meals.
• By 1896, the rebellion fomented by the Katipunan, a militant secret society, had become a full blown revolution, proving to be a nationwide uprising and leading to the proclamation of the first democratic republic in Asia. To dissociate himself, Rizal volunteered and was given leave by the Spanish Governor General Ramon Blanco to serve in Cuba to minister to victims of yellow fever. Blanco later was to present his sash and sword to the Rizal family as an apology.
• Rizal's advocacy of institutional reforms by peaceful means rather than by violent revolution makes him Asia's first modern non-violent proponent of political reforms.
• The day of Rizal's execution, the day of his birth and the day of his first leaving his native land was a Wednesday.

 According to NationMaster.com, Philippines is ranked #129 in the world in the average life expectancy. This is a not so good ranking as this is right in the middle of the pack of 220 nations ranked by the said web site, only four places higher than our Asian neighbor Indonesia.

Many factors contribute to the longevity of the populace in a nation such as lifestyle, environment, food intake and overall morale. Of the top ten countries in the chart below, four are from Asia (Macau, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan). What do these four have in common? Good economy, peaceful environment, comes from the Yellow Race (from or major part of population comes from Yellow Race), favors fish meat over farm meat. Plus all of these countries are basically islands which enjoy soothing sea breeze all year long. I wonder if most of the people from these states have more vitamin C and E sources in their diet which according to some nutritionists, scientists and medical experts provides added years in one's life meter.

Until now there is no clear and indicative data that will prove that the people of nations with high life expectancy tend to do certain rituals, prefer to eat and sleep right, drink wine moderately and do all the other "tips and techniques" to prolong their lifespan.

Sa Pilipinas, it is being put in a very simple kasabihan: "Matagal mamatay ang masamang damo."

I wonder sometimes... how about ang masamang kabayo? or ang mabuting kabayo na kumain ng masamang damo? :)

 

Snapshot taken from www.NationMaster.com.

I'll be blogging again not from my old blog site but here in BlogText.

Not that I want to leave Blogger.com, I just want to try something new and make a new web log of more mature entries :)

My first web log was really just a practice. Started on 2003 with Blogger.com with random web logs since I didn't really have any theme or specific motif that time... 

Now I'll try to focus on two three key (broad) topics namely:

1. The Philippines (including its people, places, culture, etc) <-- this is too broad
   
2. Sports (hmmm i'll try pick only those that interest me... F1, NBA, Efren "Bata" Reyes, etc)
3. All things under the sun (which is practically anything on earth or the solar system hehe)***